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Training and Education

Mexico’s Shared Risk Trust Fund, FIRCO, has already financed more than 100 solar water heater systems in the country’s agricultural sector. “Between 2004 and 2010, we provided technical assistance to 114 small agricultural producers by installing solar water heater systems on their land. Nowadays, demand for these systems is growing very fast and the FIRCO programme has become stronger than ever in installing these renewable energy technologies,” Octavio Montúfar, Head of the FIRCO renewable energy programme, explains. Currently, more than 60 people, such as local technical advisors, work in the Trust Fund’s programme, which has been equipped with a USD 200 million budget since 2006. Additionally, FIRCO is assisted by the German International Cooperation (GIZ) in setting up and implementing a quality control scheme for solar water heaters.
Figure: www.firco.gob.mx

Two solar water heating systems – one at an old people’s home and the other at an orphanage (photo) – started operating this March thanks to an initiative by SESSA members Holms and Friends, and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). Together with another system completed last year, the installations are part of an ADA pledge in support of the SOLTRAIN (Southern African Solar Thermal Training and Demonstration Initiative) project, which is coordinated by Professor Dieter Holm and Henning Holm of Holms and Friends (formerly Omnibus Engineering). Promised are more than 50 solar water heating systems (see http://www.solarthermalworld.org/node/3466). Photo: SESSA

This report evaluates the progress of the SOLTRAIN project in Southern Africa in the period 2009-2011. The project’s initiation was covered by solarthermalworld.org back in 2009, and is available here.

The International Metal Solar Industrial Alliance (IMSIA) and the newly founded China Association of Building Energy Efficiency (BISE) have started off their official cooperation at the beginning of March by organising a first shared workshop on Building-integrated Solar Energy in Chengdu, Sichuan province. The objective of the new initiative is to increase the share of energy-efficient buildings and the use of renewable energies in the construction sector. Photo: IMSIA

This document comprises training material developed in the framework of the SDHtake-off project with the support of Intelligent Energy Europe Programme. It has been designed as a “pool” of information to be used by all training organizations. It gives a broad overview of the solar thermal technologies employed for district heating, their characteristics as well as the legislative and technical requirements that are applicable in the EU.

The Trainenergy project ran from September 2009 to September 2011, with the objective to produce a training programme about the EU Energy Performance of Building and the Energy End-Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directives for tradesmen in the construction industry. The project was run in Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Denmark. This module presents the best renewable sources that offer heating at virtually zero carbon emissions, solar water heating being the first technology to be assessed.

In early August, South Africa's national utility, Eskom, convened a workshop for solar water heating manufacturers, suppliers and installers. The primary objective of the workshop was to advise the industry on what to do about the remaining budget for the solar water heating rebate scheme, as well as which immediate steps to take until the end of the 2011-2012 financial year. Quality issues of currently installed systems were also discussed (see the attached presentation). The chart shows the strong increase in the number of applications for non-pressurised (NP) solar water heaters.
Source: Eskom

This manual was prepared by the ORT University in Uruguay and includes detailed information on solar thermal installations. The manual is part of an installation course offered by the ORT University.

The document explain the main points to take into account like solar radiation levels, geographical location, design and dimensions of the collector, maintenance recommendations, among other relevant aspects.